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Letters

Ask people to share their opinion about Molokai and you’ll likely to hear a range of responses as vast and diverse as the Pacific itself. Some have chastised the island and its small population for their rejection of modernization and development. Some have lauded them for it.

I will say now that I find Molokai the most wonderful place in the world.

And all of Hawaii needs it. We need Molokai to stay Molokai.

The purity and rugged honesty of Molokai surely once existed everywhere in Hawaii. It now survives only in rare kipuka, or small pockets of biocultural sanctuaries, throughout the islands.…

Sometime last Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, four of my horses and seven cattle were killed in Kalae. I filed a police report and they took pictures. If anyone has any information on who killed my animals, please call the police department at 553-5355.

My internship at the Dispatch is over and, with a heavy heart, I am on to the next. You are an extraordinary community of people leading exemplary lives. Mahalo for sharing them with me, and for teaching me so very much during my time here.

What have I learned in six short months? Far too much, and far too nuanced and complex, to fit in the columns of a newspaper, for sure. But most of it has to do with listening, respect, community and aloha.

On behalf of our Lankford ohana in Maunaloa Town and on Oahu, we truly want to thank everyone for their prayers for my mother Mahiki Lankford. Your aloha extended all the way to her on Oahu via visits at Queen's Hospital, phone calls, cards, baskets, songs and flowers. Dad, Mahikiliilii and I brought her home Nov. 29 and she was so pleased to be home. Mahalo Piha.

In this country people have the right to protest for or against any issue. To infringe intentionally, obstruct, hurt or intimidate people or businesses is not a right. Behavior has consequences, whether it’s DUI or IOU. After 9-11 and the boogie man environment, the Patriot Act is a law. People can become to the FBI a person of interest or a suspected terrorist. Words have meaning, choose carefully what you say and what you write—big brother is looking.

Hello my beloved veterans and people of Molokai, old Jesse here with all the veterans’ news and upcoming events. Retired Gunnery Sgt. R. Lee Ermey, loved by Marines for his bombastic role as the salty drill instructor in the 1987 movie “Full Metal Jacket,” has never been afraid to tell you what’s on his mind. Just last year he tried to get the Dept. of the Navy renamed to the Dept. of the Navy and Marine Corps, but failed. Now, he has a new message for the “losers” in Washington who want to save money by slashing the military, “Hands off!” He said to the Marine Corps on Sept. 28, “I’m going to tell you something right up front. Don’t cut anything until you cut this damn foreign aid.” He went on to say eroding the military should not happen until the nation has cut the fat in less critical areas. “You want to take millions away from our military, but you continue to send billions of dollars in foreign aid to countries that hate our guts. Explain that to me,” he said citing Pakistan as an example. Ermey also advocated cutting expensive civilian contractors who are employed everywhere from the base gate to the mess hall.

For years the Navy and Northrop Gruman have worked on precise navigation technology that will make it possible to land an unmanned, persistent low-observable aircraft on a moving carrier and refuel the drone from a tanker in flight. This year, the program stepped much closer to reality. The X-47B flew for the first time in February. In July, an F/A-18 D Hornet equipped with an early version of the autonomous guidance software designed for the drone successfully landed on a carrier without a pilot on the stick and throttle. Although the primary goal of the unmanned combat air system demonstration aircraft program is to launch and land the aircraft on the carrier, officials must accomplish much more. Upon touchdown, crews must clear the drone from runway within 45 seconds, no easy feat, so other aircraft can land.

A Lt. Commander made the first takeoff from an official aircraft carrier Oct. 17, 1922, launching his biplane from the decks of the Langley. Twelve years earlier, Eugene Ely was the first to take off from a ship. Langley had been re-commissioned as the Navy’s first aircraft carrier just six months earlier after the service aviation, according to Naval History and Heritage Command. Lt. Cmdr. Virgil Griffin wasn’t the first pilot to take off from a ship and Langley was not the first ship with a flight deck installed. But Griffin’s flight in Vought VE-75F was momentous for the Navy because it introduced the era of the aircraft carrier. A number of milestones happened over the next month on Langley. Nine days after Griffin’s flight, Lt. Cmdr. Godfrey Chevalier made the first landing on an aircraft carrier. On Nov. 18, Cmdr. Kenneth Whiting became the first aviator catapulted from a carrier deck.

I’d like to remind everyone that the local VFW Post #3870 will have its monthly meeting at 12:30 p.m. on Tues. Dec. 13 at the home of Cmdr. George Harada (call 553-5730 with questions). This holiday season let’s not forget out military personnel stationed in harm’s way. To the veterans and people of Molokai, you are all very special and I love you all. If anyone has any news or needs any help, give old Jesse a call at 553-3323.

Aloha aunty here…I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! When I was a keiki the stores never put out Christmas decorations until the day after Thanksgiving. The halau I belonged to decorated Macy’s in one night for the day after Thanksgiving. Whoa, what an experience. Tons of people were there, we all pitched in to unload the three truckloads of decorations. All decorations had specific directions as to where and how they go. It took us all night. The store paid our halau for the work and gave us lunch around 2 a.m. The next day when we went to look at all the work we’d done the store looked like a fairy land. Whenever I went up the escalator I know that was my decorations. Fresh from her European tour, Laura Gibson blew everyone away with her wonderful, rich voice at the Kalele Bookstore and Divine Expressions. A couple weeks ago, Laura sang a multitude of folksongs and told the audience of 35 people about her experiences on tour around the U.S. and Europe. She is also an accomplished recording artist with two CDs. Laura is the niece of Dusty Dancy. Laura and her mother Kathy have been visiting Molokai where they stayed with Dusty and Nan and toured the island. I hope she returns soon so that everyone can enjoy her music. What a treat! Mahalo Nan and Dusty for sharing her with us.

Here’s some more yummy food for the holidays. Make everything ahead of time and put it out like a buffet and let everyone serve themselves while you go watch the game.

Brandied Ham – A simple sweet glaze will make your ham taste amazing.

Prep time: 10 minutes Total time: 2 ¼ hours Yield: Serves 8

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups packed dark-brown sugar

3/4 cup brandy or bourbon

2 tablespoons grainy mustard

1 bone-in half ham (about 6 pounds), fully cooked

Directions:

In a small saucepan, combine sugar, brandy, and mustard. Bring to a boil over medium; cook until glaze is thick and syrupy, three minutes. (To store, refrigerate, up to two days. Reheat before using.)

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Using a sharp knife, cut off hard rind from ham (if any); score the fate in a diamond pattern. Place ham, cut side down, in a roasting pan or on a rimmed baking sheet and cover tightly with foil. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part reads 145, 1.5 hours.

Brush ham generously with glaze, making sure to coat all exposed areas. Increase over temperature to 350 degrees and bake, uncovered, until glaze is sticky and ham is browned, about 35 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I would like to express my thanks and appreciation to the staff, students and community supporters of Aka'ula School for the Aka'ula Lifetime Education Achievement Award that was given to me at Ku Ka Lau Lama 2011. I am honored and humbled by the recognition.

I dance hula to preserve the art of telling a story with my whole being. Hula continuously expresses what words can’t. For instance, nature’s beauty, giving thanks, praise and glory to our maker Ke Akua. My movement becomes spiritual, there is mana (power). Although hula can be taught to everybody, it is not meant for everybody! Sometimes as an observer of hula, I must admit certain individuals who don’t have the pilikoko (blood) dance outstandingly!

Aloha people of Molokai, I had to instigate/speak up for Molokai about the American Safari Cruises boat cause it seemed as if no one else was. The week before the company made their first landing on Molokai, a test run to tie up, I happened to be at Ali'i fishpond and I passed my time talking with Uncle Merv Dudoit. He asked me if I heard about "the boat" coming. I had no idea what he was talking about so he told me and shared a letter with me from Teri Waros about the coming of a boat. That was my introduction to American Safari Cruises’ plans for Molokai. He also told me that the `Aha Ki`ole board members requested a community meeting of Teri Waros regarding this ship. He told me that "she said no need community meeting.” That raised my red flags high!